About Matt and the interview.
Matt as been a Youtuber for over a year now, and has posted over 600 videos. His content generally deals with video games which can be a touchy issue when it comes to their copyrights. This interview has been paraphrased so as to include the most valuable and concise information. Be sure to check out his channel so you can see the wonderful content that he regularly uploads.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mattman522
What got you interested in posting videos on Youtube?
"Well, I started off as a podcaster, doing that a couple of years prior to doing Youtube. And then when I saw all of these entertaining people, that were kind of like me, I kind of thought "Well I could do that." So I did it basically because I thought it was fun."
What sort of content do you upload to Youtube?
"Mostly Let's Plays. I occasionally upload reviews, some vlogs, the occasional "soap box" video."
Are you familiar with Youtube's ContentID system, and what do you know about it?
"Yes. I know that it is an automated system on Youtube to capture any sort of specific footage or audio to stop people from uploading things that they shouldn't, like copyrighted video or music."
Have you had any issues with your videos being flagged by Youtube?
"Yes. A couple of my Tomb Raider videos were copyright flagged for their music, because the soundtrack does have music belonging to various bands. They were flagged and a copyright claim was sent. All that meant was that I could either dispute this and say that I own the music or I could say that I don't own the music, which would mean that all of the profits from my video would go to the copyright holder."
What sort of steps have you taken to protect you and your videos from copyright issues?
"Emailing the developers of the video games that I make videos of and asking for their written permission, as well as taking a screenshot of it. I make sure that I have their permission for me to make content on the game and make them very aware of the type of content I will make. I keep the written permission because on occasion Youtube will still flag my video, so this will help protect me."
Lastly, what is your overall opinion of Youtube as a website? What sort of improvements do you think it should have?
"I think that it is fantastic. It is a good place to upload your content. There are all sorts of videos that you can watch, even free education videos like documentaries. As a viewer, I have no problems. As a content uploader, I also don't have many problems, because the rules that Youtube puts in place are legal rules. There's no getting around it."
Friday, April 25, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
(9) Youtube Sweeps and Solutions (Guest Blog)
Company rights
As it is, when a Youtube video maker puts a video up, they own the
copyright to it, but companies still own the rights to their own products as
well. If a Youtube user makes a video
using some of their content as in a lets play or walk through, then some
companies feel like their product is threatened and so they call copyright
violations as per 106Aa3A and B of copyright law.
But we
already know this
I only bring it up again to explain how a Youtube user who is flagged for
copyright infringement loses money.
Because the companies own the raw footage of the game the player used,
they are now the ones to get revenue from advertising. Gaming companies seem to have two major ways
of reacting to these videos. In the case
of Nintendo, they are openly displeased by content being made from their games
and actively seek to have videos flagged.
On the other hand companies like Blizzard have chosen to welcome the
advertising that comes from Youtube and try to remove flags on their content to
help the user. So a major reason for the
sweeps in flagging is that the now Google-owned Youtube does not want to get sued
by the stricter companies
for allowing the content.
Solutions?
Even with the companies calling the 106Aa3A and B sections of the law, we
are not without our own rights. Because
the Youtuber makes the content, and in the case of video games, often has a
direct effect on what happens on the screen, users can claim Fair use to get
the flags removed. But in the end, the
content will likely sort itself.
Companies that continue to aggressively flag videos will no longer have
content made from them as often and will lose both the revenue and the
publicity from those views. Likewise
smaller games and companies that allow for free use will see an increase in
content made with their material.
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(8) Youtube Infographic
Sources:
ContentID Picture: http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/12/19/the-injustice-of-the-youtube-content-id-crackdown-reveals-googles-dark-side/
Youtube Picture: http://www.androidpit.com/youtube-addicting-video-viewing-on-your-smartphone
Company Picture: http://www.invest-in-iraq.com/join-stock-company/
Uploader Picture: http://en.earboxwear.com/OurDearestYoutubers
Arrow Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arrow_east.svg
Friday, April 18, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
(6) Abuse of ContentID
Is ContentID a foolproof system?
Youtube heavily uses their ContentID system to regulate the videos on their website. The reason for this is due to the extremely large number of videos that are uploaded daily. Youtube employees would be unable to check every single video posted to the website, thus ContentID is used. This system uses a database to check videos for duplicate content. It will scan the video to see if it is the same as a copyrighted video within the ContentID database. If there is a match, then the appropriate action will be taken against the video and the uploader.
There are some flaws with ContentID though. With certain video editing techniques, people can bypass the system and keep their video on the website. The first thing to note is that ContentID generally scans videos for exact matches. This means that by altering the video someone could post it to Youtube without the ContentID system recognizing it. There are several ways of doing this. On way is to mirror the video. This means that the video will appear to be flipped as if you were watching it through a mirror. Another way is to change the size of the video. By shrinking the video and putting it in the corner, it can trick the ContentID system. Lastly, filters can be placed over the video to mask what it really is. Any one of these method can fool ContentID into thinking that the video isn't in their database.
Why are you bringing this up?
The reason that I am explaining these things is to show that Youtube's attempts to catch copyright infringement isn't perfect. There are countless videos on the website that do abuse copyrights, and yet they remain watchable. Conversely, there are videos that get removed despite not infringing upon a copyright. ContentID will locate parts of a video that match their system and remove them regardless of the manner in which they are used. Youtube doesn't have a perfect system. Even if a video falls within the fair use statute, it can still be taken down. Youtube's automated policy on copyright detection makes it difficult for content creators to showcase their work. Keep in mind that you can be in the right with your video, and it still be accused of copyright infringement. Make sure that your content follows all of the rules so you can avoid any problems with Youtube.
Youtube heavily uses their ContentID system to regulate the videos on their website. The reason for this is due to the extremely large number of videos that are uploaded daily. Youtube employees would be unable to check every single video posted to the website, thus ContentID is used. This system uses a database to check videos for duplicate content. It will scan the video to see if it is the same as a copyrighted video within the ContentID database. If there is a match, then the appropriate action will be taken against the video and the uploader.
There are some flaws with ContentID though. With certain video editing techniques, people can bypass the system and keep their video on the website. The first thing to note is that ContentID generally scans videos for exact matches. This means that by altering the video someone could post it to Youtube without the ContentID system recognizing it. There are several ways of doing this. On way is to mirror the video. This means that the video will appear to be flipped as if you were watching it through a mirror. Another way is to change the size of the video. By shrinking the video and putting it in the corner, it can trick the ContentID system. Lastly, filters can be placed over the video to mask what it really is. Any one of these method can fool ContentID into thinking that the video isn't in their database.
Why are you bringing this up?
The reason that I am explaining these things is to show that Youtube's attempts to catch copyright infringement isn't perfect. There are countless videos on the website that do abuse copyrights, and yet they remain watchable. Conversely, there are videos that get removed despite not infringing upon a copyright. ContentID will locate parts of a video that match their system and remove them regardless of the manner in which they are used. Youtube doesn't have a perfect system. Even if a video falls within the fair use statute, it can still be taken down. Youtube's automated policy on copyright detection makes it difficult for content creators to showcase their work. Keep in mind that you can be in the right with your video, and it still be accused of copyright infringement. Make sure that your content follows all of the rules so you can avoid any problems with Youtube.
(5) More Examples of Copyrights in Action
What if the content is blocked globally?
There will be times when content that you upload to Youtube will be blocked globally. This means that the video can not be viewed by anyone except for the uploader. This completely depends on the copyright holder, and whether or not they will allow any of their content to be used on Youtube. I have faced this issue before. There are a few options that can be used to combat the situation. The first would be to dispute the claim made against the uploaded video. As stated in one of the previous blog posts, this option is risky and has no guarantee of working. This is only if you are certain that the video isn't infringing the copyright. The second option is to simply upload the video to a different website. This is ill advised. While another website may keep the video up, it is likely because they do not actively check for copyright infringement. I will post an example of this scenario.
Video: https://vimeo.com/88915380
So here is some information about the video. The visual content is of an anime series called Kimi ni Todoke. This series is owned by the production company Nippon Television (NTV). The music in the video is part of the Kimi ni Todoke soundtrack. All other audio was created by myself and a friend of mine. I first tried uploading this video to Youtube, where it was immediately blocked in all countries. I could have disputed the claim, however the chances of the video being rectified were very slim. I decided to upload the video to a different video streaming website called Vimeo. Upon uploading the video to that website, it was not removed at all. The reason I was personally so adamant about posting the video somewhere was to show some friends, however the reasons are rarely important if copyright infringement is involved. Again, this option isn't advised, as it is somewhat sketchy.
There will be times when content that you upload to Youtube will be blocked globally. This means that the video can not be viewed by anyone except for the uploader. This completely depends on the copyright holder, and whether or not they will allow any of their content to be used on Youtube. I have faced this issue before. There are a few options that can be used to combat the situation. The first would be to dispute the claim made against the uploaded video. As stated in one of the previous blog posts, this option is risky and has no guarantee of working. This is only if you are certain that the video isn't infringing the copyright. The second option is to simply upload the video to a different website. This is ill advised. While another website may keep the video up, it is likely because they do not actively check for copyright infringement. I will post an example of this scenario.
Video: https://vimeo.com/88915380
So here is some information about the video. The visual content is of an anime series called Kimi ni Todoke. This series is owned by the production company Nippon Television (NTV). The music in the video is part of the Kimi ni Todoke soundtrack. All other audio was created by myself and a friend of mine. I first tried uploading this video to Youtube, where it was immediately blocked in all countries. I could have disputed the claim, however the chances of the video being rectified were very slim. I decided to upload the video to a different video streaming website called Vimeo. Upon uploading the video to that website, it was not removed at all. The reason I was personally so adamant about posting the video somewhere was to show some friends, however the reasons are rarely important if copyright infringement is involved. Again, this option isn't advised, as it is somewhat sketchy.
(4) Example of Copyrights in Action
Show me an example of Youtube's copyright policy.
Youtube is always checking its content for copyright infringement, as stated in the previous blog post. I will provide an example of a video that has mild copyright infringement.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVpnLZ5_wp8
Here is the information that you should know about the video. The visual content is of an anime series called Dragonball Z. This series is owned by Toei Animation, a company located in Japan. The music used in the video is part of the Dragonball Z soundtrack. All other audio was created by me. Now then, after uploading this video, I was given a notice that it was being blocked in certain countries. When a video is blocked by Youtube's ContentID, you are responsible for seeing the reasons and conditions for the block. In this particular scenario, the video was blocked in Japan, meaning that anyone trying to watch the video in that country would be unable to. In addition to this, the video was initially not viewable at all. I was required to acknowledge that the video would be blocked in Japan before it would be made available to everyone else.
This is how the copyright for this particular video worked out. I was allowed to keep the video up, despite it containing content from somebody else's work. There are a few reasons for this. First, the video itself did not contain a large amount of the copyrighted work. Had I uploaded entire episodes of the series, it is very likely that it would have been completely removed. Second, the video contained some original content. While the video was nearly identical to the original work, I included my own audio. This would make it fall under the first statute of fair use. The work was not directly copied, rather it was altered. Keep in mind though that despite believing that something falls within fair use, the copyright holder can still take action against you. You must be certain that your content is justifiably not infringing upon someone's content.
Youtube is always checking its content for copyright infringement, as stated in the previous blog post. I will provide an example of a video that has mild copyright infringement.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVpnLZ5_wp8
Here is the information that you should know about the video. The visual content is of an anime series called Dragonball Z. This series is owned by Toei Animation, a company located in Japan. The music used in the video is part of the Dragonball Z soundtrack. All other audio was created by me. Now then, after uploading this video, I was given a notice that it was being blocked in certain countries. When a video is blocked by Youtube's ContentID, you are responsible for seeing the reasons and conditions for the block. In this particular scenario, the video was blocked in Japan, meaning that anyone trying to watch the video in that country would be unable to. In addition to this, the video was initially not viewable at all. I was required to acknowledge that the video would be blocked in Japan before it would be made available to everyone else.
This is how the copyright for this particular video worked out. I was allowed to keep the video up, despite it containing content from somebody else's work. There are a few reasons for this. First, the video itself did not contain a large amount of the copyrighted work. Had I uploaded entire episodes of the series, it is very likely that it would have been completely removed. Second, the video contained some original content. While the video was nearly identical to the original work, I included my own audio. This would make it fall under the first statute of fair use. The work was not directly copied, rather it was altered. Keep in mind though that despite believing that something falls within fair use, the copyright holder can still take action against you. You must be certain that your content is justifiably not infringing upon someone's content.
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